TF1 finds Cerebrum in search for router control

TF1 operates five television channels in France as well as several special interest pay-TV channels and their digital offshoots. The broadcaster has an average market share of 20.3%.

This makes it the most popular domestic network in France and its channels among the most viewed in Europe. When the broadcaster began looking for a control system to manage its new distributed router, it decided on Axon Digital Design’s Cerebrum Master Control Software. This system offered the advanced functionality and broad range of features that TF1 needed to manage its audio/video processing, multiviewer and tally/UMD management.

Cyril Bernard, TF1’s Support & System Manager, said: “When we planned to replace our traditional central router with a new Riedel distributed audio/video router, we realised that we needed a versatile control system that could handle incoming feeds and audio returns for our control rooms. We looked at various systems on the market but chose Cerebrum because it met all our criteria and was so simple to use that even non-technical staff such as journalists could easily get to grips with it.”

By acting as the nerve centre for all routing Cerebrum simplifies multi device monitoring and control onto one interface. It supports a range of devices from different manufacturers – including routers, production switchers, servers, receiver decoders, multiviewers and waveform monitors – using either SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) or third party protocols.

“Intuitiveness and responsiveness were key to the success of this project,” said Richard Couzon, Axon’s business development manager for France and French-speaking countries. “TF1’s set-up requires complex switching to take place in a very short timeframe, so they needed a system that could be customized to meet their exact needs. Although router control was the main requirement, TF1also wanted a system that could be expanded to other devices such as multiviewers, intercom systems and tallies. Cerebrum met all of these criteria and was also very cost effective.”

TF1will expand the system in early 2019 so that it can control more devices.